Japan Election: Japan’s Ruling Bloc Could Seek Broader Coalition Amid Turmoil; CDPJ Hoping to Trigger Change of Government

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, October 28, 2024

It is unclear which way the political winds will blow after the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner Komeito failed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives election on Sunday.

The ruling bloc is likely to try to expand its coalition, and LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama has already been in contact with senior officials of the Democratic Party for the People behind the scenes. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan apparently is aiming to prevent this move by cooperating with other opposition parties, as it tries to trigger a change of government.

On Monday morning, CDPJ President Yoshihiko Noda visited the headquarters of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) in Tokyo and met with Tomoko Yoshino, president of the confederation, which supported the party in the lower house election. After the meeting, Noda told reporters, “Going forward, we will engage in sincere dialogue with each party in preparation for a special Diet session.”

At the meeting, Yoshino reportedly told Noda, “Both the CDPJ and the DPFP have made significant gains. We hope that [the parties] will hear our requests and respond to them.”

In the near term, the focus now will be on how the opposition parties will work together to counter the weakened ruling bloc. The CDPJ held an executive meeting at the party’s headquarters on Monday morning to discuss how to cooperate with other opposition parties such as on a vote to nominate a prime minister during the soon-to-be-convened special session of the Diet.

Noda plans to seek cooperation from the Japan Innovation Party and the DPFP, which jointly submitted a no-confidence motion against the Ishiba Cabinet during an extraordinary Diet session held earlier this month.

At a press conference early on Monday morning, Noda sounded confident. “We will very likely be able to find common ground with those who don’t want the LDP-Komeito coalition government to continue,” he said.

However, Noda also indicated that talks with other opposition parties would require some time. “It won’t be possible to sort out the specifics before the special Diet session,” he told reporters later on Monday. “After the special Diet session, when things have settled down, we want to have thorough talks.”

Noda appears to want to settle the matter before the House of Councillors election next summer.

DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki also met with Yoshino at Rengo’s headquarters on Monday morning. After the meeting, Tamaki reiterated to reporters that his party would not join the LDP-Komeito coalition.

However, Tamaki also seemed unwilling to join hands with the CDPJ, saying he would write his own name in the vote to nominate a prime minister during the special Diet session.

The JIP has also shown itself reluctant to cooperate with other parties. At a press conference on Sunday night, JIP leader Nobuyuki Baba denied his party would join the ruling coalition. He said, “Right now, we’re not thinking about that at all.”